The Elms Hotel & Spa

oster began helping me with all the details of our wedding day. There are not words to describe my admiration and respect for Miss Foster. This woman is a godsend and I can confidently say my wedding would NEVER have been as perfect as it was without her. Tori was always on top of everything and went well out of her way to help me on numerous occasions. I was having a difficult time planning this, as I was 500 miles away in Chicago and Tori was there picking up my slack every step of the way. She replied to my emails and calls immediately, she thought of everything I missed, carefully coordinated every minute of the evening with me, and did all of this with one of the best attitudes I have ever seen. None of it was easy, but Tori handled is so graciously, it seemed like second nature to her. I have not met anyone as good at their job as Miss Victoria Foster and I am eternally grateful for her and everything she did for us. The Elms itself was also amazing. When you book your venue through them they help you with EVERYTHING. Tori and Lacee also helped with our guest accommodations at the hotel as well as ours. Thanks to them, there was no stress in that. Every single staff member working at the hotel was great to work with also. Everyone was so kind and nice to us and our guests. Their only priority was that we were all happy and it truly showed. Matt, the manager helping with setup,take down, and food, the day of was extraordinary too. I saw him throughout the night making sure everything was running smoothly, with tori there too obviously! There was another woman, whose name I cannot remember, helping with food and she was very attentative and on top of everything. Our guests loved the food, rooms, atmosphere, EVERYTHING. The Elms really made my wedding magical and I feel forever indebted to each and every staff member there. Thank you guys so SO much!! Much love from the Wilkinsons.

I always expect "hotel" food to be good not great, but it was so yummy and our guests were also impressed. We decided to do a wedding weekend for anyone that wanted to come early and enjoy the spa or other amenities. Almost every wedding guest did come and stay Friday and Saturday. It turned a too fast wedding day into a fun, long weekend that we could really enjoy. Tori was our coordinator at the hotel and she helped us every step of the way. We plan to go to the Elms every year to celebrate =)

ry. I recommend anyone looking for a beautiful venue that is offered at an amazing price and will take the best care of you to check out the Elms

ase travel bans became an obstacle. The Elms was perfect. The hotel has the perfect mix of old style charm and modern amenities. And, the Regent Ballroom afforded just the right amount of privacy and outdoor space so that we could space out and feel comfortable enjoying the festivities. The grounds also provided a beautiful backdrop for photos before the ceremony. Tori and the rest of the hotel staff were super accommodating and easy to work with. Tori even helped provide ideas for a rehearsal dinner location at a Brewery with axe throwing lanes within walking distance. Nearby wineries and golf courses also added to the weekend's festivities. The Spa, Ghost Tour, and lap pool are just some of the "can't miss" amenities at the hotel itself. Not only was the Elms a great location for our wedding, but, we now have an awesome retreat for anniversary trips. The only down side was that we ordered way too much food and it ended up going to waste.

e place. Plus, prices are reasonable. We were pleased to find out part of the package are the services of a wedding coordinator. We worked with Tori F., and occasionally Lacee M. Both were amazing! Quick to respond to communications, very skilled at event planning, and really helped us out in our bind due to the COVID situation. Most of my family coming in from out of town cancelled their travel to the wedding due to COVID, but the Elms was very flexible and helped us update our wedding plans to meet our needs. The wedding day went off without a hitch. Gorgeous wedding, delicious food, everyone had a great time. A big thank you to the Elms for helping to deliver our dream wedding!

rtunity to have a more formal ballroom reception. Most importantly it was ideal for bringing in guests from out of town and having everyone at the same place. We didn't have to worry about guests driving home after the wedding and it also allowed for everyone to have more fun with the family together for a weekend with additional activities for them to take advantage of like the spa, pools, outdoor games, patio areas, etc. Our original date in May was postponed until June and then again for October due to the challenges of the pandemic. We could not have been more pleased with the way that the staff handled it. They were flexible, understanding, supportive, and during this time we actually felt they became members of our family. As trying as it was, this situation was beginning to feel like a blessing because we were getting to know Tori and Lacee and Kara even more. We were able to see how The Elms and the staff would perform under pressure and it was during this time that they showed us we weren't just another financial booking and they were there to do "the right thing". In turn, we had many opportunities to change plans and consider a backyard wedding but by this time we were more determined to follow through at the place that had cared so much for us. It was worth it too. From the beginning Lacee offered suggestions and help for anything and everything and we appreciated her constant patience with us! Tori worked tirelessly at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. I watched her effectively coral talkative family and friends into being where they needed to be in order to keep things moving. She was kind and patient and professional throughout the entire process. Kara was phenomenal during the lockdown period when she had to step in and take care of al of our room blocks, wedding and wedding rehearsal questions. She never sounded confused or unorganized even though I knew this was not her primary job and was part of our planning process. She seamlessly stepped in and kept things moving along. This group of girls will always be considered our A TEAM. They are experienced, knowledgeable, helpful, and genuine. We love our experience with this A TEAM as much as the beautiful grounds, gorgeous elegant ballroom and the historic venue. My only suggestion is that when Tori leaves, that there be someone on hand to take over for her. We could have used a point person to ask for help during the times that we needed help with lights, cake cutting, dance floor drink spills, lost items, etc. I plan to recommend The Elms to anyone and everyone possible. It was a beautiful storybook experience! Thank you for working so hard for us and for helping us in the most important day of our lives!

pport from Tori and The Elms staff. Tori and The Elms have been so helpful in the process of rescheduling our wedding due to the pandemic and have made sure that all of our dreams came true in the safest way possible. The hotel itself is beautiful and we had a fabulous stay at The Elms outside of the wedding. We extended our stay for a few more days as a mini-honeymoon and went on the Ghost Tour with Jim. It was all fabulous. Tori thought of every little detail and remembered every comment or question we had. She was exceptional. She made sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. Tori and the Banquet staff ensured all tables were in the right place, the decor they placed was beautiful, and my husband and I didn't have to get up for anything the whole event. In regards to the wedding and reception, the food was amazing, the drinks were strong, and the staff was incredible. The entire weekend was fabulous and we cannot wait to have our larger event next year at The Elms. One of the main reasons why we picked The Elms is because we didn't want ourselves or our family to have to do any work during the event. Everyone was able to relax and have a fabulous time. A benefit of having the wedding at The Elms is that we didn't have to worry about our guests at the end of the night having to drive home. During our stay, every staff member checked in with us to make sure we had everything we needed and that we were enjoying our time. The bridal suite was beautiful and our hairstylist from The Elms exceeded expectations. We honestly cannot say enough good things about our experience with The Elms. We cannot recommend them enough and we look forward to celebrating anniversaries and other events there for many years to come.

setting, the elegant grand ballroom and the richness of the hotel’s character itself. We wanted a “one-stop”, “someone else take care of things”, “all-inclusive” venue and the Elms did not disappoint. When Covid hit it March, and things screeched to a halt until the end of May, we honestly did not know if we should have and/or what would the dream wedding look like. We will forever be indebted to our fantastic wedding planning team: Lacee, Tori and Kara, who held our proverbial hands and together, they delivered the wedding experience that exceeded our expectations. Due to CDC regulations, our guest list was cut by 2/3rds; we had to adjust menu/serving styles (ex: we chose to serve wrapped Hostess cakes and an ice cream bar in lieu of a wedding cake); masks were mandated (we also handed out individualized hand sanitizer bottles/wipes) and, social distancing was integrated into all plans. However, with adjustments - such as incorporating assigned seating charts and using the larger tables/chair spacing to spread folks out; and, informing everyone of what to expect, the reality exceeded the dream. The Elms Grand Ballroom serving staff (including the incomparable Miss Michelle and Logan) , the front desk team (our “Awesome Austin” and the Amazing Miss Jen), our wedding planners and the impeccable Spa ladies who walk the talk/talk the walk of exceptional service, provided for the fairy tale wedding and spa experience. As with all things, we had hiccups. It is a testament to all these amazing team members as to how they addressed, took accountability/responsibility/initiative and resolved our obstacles that set the bar for the exceptional customer experience. My advice: allow for some flexibility in your plans-not everything will be perfect. But it’s the spice of unexpected events in life that makes for great stories. Trust the team to impress you. If given the chance, they will make your dreams come true. Put pockets in your wedding dress, you never know when you’ll find a penny for good luck. Do the Grotto experience with your brides' maids– the two-hour downtime/de-stressor bonding time is so worth it. Finally, as this was wedding #3 for me, let/pay this team do the work for you and take the time to simply enjoy the experience. Your memories and time are much more valuable than trying to do it all yourself and cut costs.

vision and executed it perfectly. I cannot say enough amazing things about Lacee and Christina especially! Lacee gave us such a sense of ease and helped us with all our many questions or concerns. When we came to The Elms to meet and check out the venue, Lacee was the one that sold us on it. Her genuine personality matched with professionalism was one we hadn't seen at any other venue! We love her! Christina was there for us every step of the way during the planning process and always helped us find a solution and answer to anything. She was so fun, constantly checked up on us and made sure the day of the wedding was perfect! We are so incredibly impressed by The Elms and will recommend it everyone we know!

time, our staff event coordinator was not there when we needed assistance, and I feel like there was a lack of communication throughout. I will say, The serving team was incredibly friendly and took care of our every need during the reception. I have zero complaints about them. I was disappointed in our food, we had custom planned a pizza bar and it tasted like it came from a cafeteria and had been sitting out all day. We were told merely days before our ceremony that we weren’t meeting the food minimum and had to rush to decide on having them make our dessert, resulting in ridiculously overpriced cookies. I am disappointed we were required to cater through The Elms and received such poor quality food. I did reach out to the department lead afterwards and was comped a massage. While I appreciate the gesture, it doesn’t quite make up for the memories of what went wrong during our wedding.

recommendations when I was clueless, and so much more, Tori and Lacee always made me feel at ease and like I was in VERY good hands...which I was :) Some of my top PROS: -Venue offers location for rehearsal dinner (though we ended up using Dubious Claims Brewery- I wish we would've hosted it at The Elms restaurant) and obviously a place for guests to stay. It was so. nice for everyone to just be able to stumble up to their rooms after the reception. -Many of my guests took advantage of the spa and LOVED how that was an option. -Hair and makeup provided by the spa was GREAT! I was definitely worried bout this part, but was beyond thrilled with how I looked :) Hair and makeup came to my bridal suite which was sooo nice. -The food was great (though a little pricey for a meal, I must admit), but they were willing to work with us to create a custom meal (butternut squash ravioli!) at a very affordable rate and probably would have created additional lower priced meals to offer if we requested. -Most set-up and all clean-up was done by Elms staff. This allowed for my guests to just enjoy the day and not worry about setting up! -Decorations - LOVE that the Elms provided candles, votives, table numbers, all linens and more! CON: (really only one I can think worth even mentioning!) -The room block was a little tricky to navigate and probably the most stressful part. From estimating how many rooms will be needed to bugging my guests to book about 1 month before the wedding (before the block became inactive) was tough. Guests had to call and speak to someone to book, when most people just wanted to book online. DESPITE this con, Tori and Lacee helped me through the process and kept me very up to date and were always available to chat. Overall- I fully recommend The Elms to all brides to be!! Its a special place with lots to offer and a staff that will truly to whatever it takes to make your day stress-free and amazing.

ul and the food was amazing. We loved the fact that everything was at one place and we didn’t have to coordinate much outside of the venue. Thanks again to Tori and her team for making my wedding day absolutely amazing!

everything go smoothly, and made sure every detail was right in the planning process. The day of was amazing! Everything went off without a problem and all of our staff for the night was extremely nice and was willing to do anything to make the night better! The only problem we had was the front desk. when guest called in they were put on hold and they never picked back up and with the checkin some guests had a problem and recieved a different price from our block rooms. They were in the process of switching to the Hyatt so I'm not sure If that was the cause of the problem but it still caused an inconvenience.

lly fell in love with the venue for a few reasons. 1. It's a one stop shop. Venue, bar, food, and hotel for your guest. My husbands entire family is out of state. We knew we needed a space that either offered a shuttle or better yet, we could party all night and then find our rooms, which is exactly what all of our guest did. The food was amazing. Tori worked with us to create a custom menu of my husband and I's favorite foods.The guest raved about how wonderful the food was! Which is all any bride can hope for since the catering was cooking for 250 people. The bars (yes, we have two staffed bars!) were great! Again, we got to build the menu of exactly what we wanted. It was amazing! One bummer with respect to the bar was that we received feedback from several guest that a bartender was rather instant on tips before serving guest. Even from the groom! So that made guest , and us, feel a bit uncomfortable. It just upset me a bit. The second reason we loved The Elms was the space and size. Our families are huge and everyone fit comfortably in both ballrooms. After the ceremony in the smaller ballroom, the guest moved to the Grand ballroom. Not having to drive to a reception hall was so nice! The guest really appreciated it! Finally, the staff was out of this world. The wedding wouldn't have happened with Tori and her team. She answered hundreds (not kidding) of questions, they helped set up and take down decorations, provided assistance when needed, and everything in between. Tori alone is reason enough to book The Elms for your wedding. You're getting a beautiful venue + a wedding coordinator all in one! A few side notes. Our guest did have trouble booking there rooms. Often they were told no block existed when it did. Some family never got through and had to book a separate hotel. Which was upsetting. I would consider myself to be a detailed and organized person. I really appreciated the fact that every meeting we had was documented and shortly after was emailed to me. It really helped me stay on track and know what I needed to do. The communication was great and really fast! The Elms also offers a shuttle. We used it the day before to take family and friends to the local golf course. The driver was SO nice and on time. It was a great perk and a fun way to spend time with family. The only other negative was during dinner. It was late being served and the bridal party (bride & groom included) & parents were not served first. Which put us behind on our timeline. Decor! The Elms has SO many decor items they let you use! It was such a weight lifted to have so many things provided and set up for me. The spa! Brides, you HAVE to book a spa day! My girls and I did this the Thursday before the wedding. It was the most wonderful, relaxing, & fun day ever. We felt like queens! We can't wait to go back! For us, we wanted our family and friends to feel loved the entire wedding weekend. Having everyone together at The Elms made that possible. If you at all considering The Elms, you have to at least tour the space and talk with Tori. She's a wedding goddess and will really do everything she can to help your day come together. We can't wait to go back and enjoy everything all over!

hrough the venue but it was just as good as the tasting (which blew us away!). They helped our day go off without a problem and exceeded our expectations! Would recommend them to anyone looking in the greater KC area!

have to supply many decorations as The Elms was more than willing to let us use everything they owned at no additional cost to us. The staff completed all of the set-up and take-down the day of the wedding and transported our gifts to our hotel room for us. It was such a relief to have everything taken care of so we could fully enjoy our day! Tori, the wedding coordinator, was such a pleasure to work with! She was kind, professional, helpful, and responded quickly to our emails. She was there with us on our wedding day making sure everything went as planned and went above and beyond to meet our requests. We met with her several times throughout the planning process and she went out of her way to meet when it was convenient for us, as many times as we wanted. She is in charge of A LOT of weddings and is very very busy, yet I felt like I was her priority. I also cannot speak highly enough of the rest of The Elms staff! From the front desk, to the bartenders, to the banquet team members, everyone was incredible to work with! We felt very special and very spoiled by the staff the weekend of the wedding! The ONLY negatives throughout our experience were: 1. We were mislead in the beginning about who would be in charge of our wedding. We initially met with Lacee and she told us she would be running the show, however, we never saw her again. We were upset at first but we quickly got over it after we got to know Tori! 2. Some of our guests had trouble booking rooms in our room block. I spoke with Tori about this and she immediately took care of the issue and (again) went above and beyond to accommodate our guests. Overall, if I had to go back and plan our wedding again, I would definitely have it at The Elms! It was such a beautiful, perfect day!

t above and beyond to ensure that everything went according to plan. Tori really communicates with the bride to make sure all details are in order prior to the wedding, which is so helpful, especially for us brides who like to be in-the-know and involved in all decisions. We had our ceremony in the Regent Room and then moved to the Grand Ballroom for our reception, and both locations were stunning. I could not have asked for a more perfect day and would absolutely recommend The Elms for a wedding!

nce. Those things include the following: Many of the staff at the front desk were wonderful; however, several of our guests had difficulty booking in our reserved block and getting the discounted rate with the staff. Also, many of our guests were not provided the welcome bags that the desk staff were supposed to give out, even when the guests asked about them. We spent a lot of money on the bags, so that was disappointing. Finally, we, and our guests had significant problems with our key cards for our rooms. They kept being deactivated. During our wedding reception I needed to change my clothes but I was locked out of my room due to this key card issue. At the same time the Elms said their key card machine wasn’t working. Consequently I missed 45 minutes of my own wedding reception dealing with this issue.

day. The Elms was the first venue we visited after getting engaged and it was also the last. We knew instantly that they offered everything we were looking for (ceremony/reception in same location, historic/classic vibe, a getaway feel). The Elms checked all those boxes. Tori was an excellent communicator. Even with the small hiccups that occurred along the way she answered questions, calmed fears and fixed problems. I would choose The Elms again in a heartbeat. One of the most lovely things during our 4 day stay for our wedding was meeting a handful of other couples of all ages that had been married there and were back visiting. How fun is that? We are hearing so many compliments from our guests on the food, the venue, the staff - all of it. We had a brunch at the hotel the morning after the wedding and it was incredible. They reused my centerpieces from the night before and it was so nice to get to enjoy them for that extra time. I used the spa for hair and make up and would recommend them to any Elms bride. Our day was absolutely perfect. If you are a KC bride that wants a destination feel without having to travel far away please consider The Elms!

fell in love with the one stop shop and her bubbly, classy personality. We were sold with the venue already! We also won a free catered breakfast and when I went to claim the prize they said The Elms was out of the catering district & Lacee picked it up and brought it to the room the day of my wedding! Once we decided to book we worked very close with Tori Foster. Tori is also very bubbly and classy But beyond that she did everything possible to make my day 100% perfect. She met with us many times to make sure the centerpieces, table decor, table covers, chair covers, food, & the set up was perfect. If there were any questions at all she didn't hesitate to email or call to ask a question just to make sure it was the way I wanted it. I could not have asked for anything more with their services. If Tori was not available Lacee was. They were very easy to get ahold of and replied quickly. They knew we had a tight budget and worked with us to make sure everything fit into our budget. The staff did the complete set up and break down of the ballroom, they served all the food and were very professional and polite. Onto the food... it was delicious! The chicken was very tender and juicy and you could tell it was brined. Everything was very flavorful and delicious. Onto our room... can you say AAAHHHMAZING! We got ready in our room the morning of the wedding and the hair dressers came up to our room and did all of our hair! Flower girl, bride, mother of bride & 4 brides maids. When my husband and I returned to the room it was spotless. That's with all us girls in there and the free breakfast. Think of all that hair spray and makeup and clothing! Just imagine! They did such a wonderful job on our hair also! The breakfast didnt come with silverware and plates and they were quick to bring stuff up for us to eat on. We had humungous chocolate covered strawberries in our room with a special gift left from lacee and tori. The suite was included in the package. When I say this was a one stop shop I mean it! The hot tub outside was so wonderful to chill in the morning after the wedding. If my bougie husband was overly pleased I'm sure you will be too! Best day of my life

with little to no stress involved in ANY of the decision making or planning process, The Elms is the venue for you! From the initial meet and greet, they worked within our budget the entire time and told us exactly what our money would get us and never went over our budget. Throughout the planning process, Tori was in touch and available and answered every email I sent within minutes. We got to attend complimentary tastings with our moms and try the meals we would offer our guests and the food was amazing! The week of our wedding, the weather on our wedding day called for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. We initially booked the gazebo so we had to move the wedding inside, which would stress some brides out, but not with Tori. I had the utmost confidence in her and she delivered better than I could have ever dreamed. I recommend The Elms to any bride who is looking for a venue that takes care of everything, from centerpieces to food/alcohol to room blocks, without any stress involved. Thank you Tori Foster for making my wedding the wedding of my dreams!!

ay. It was wonderful to have the reception all taken care of and lots of stress lifted off. We had our ideas of how our wedding day and The Elms executed out our plans the way we envisioned. All our questions were answered promptly. Tori did an amazing job and the room was so beautiful , food was amazing and it was the perfect day.

ws of the Elms on the Knot etc., but I ended up being very impressed with the whole experience. I will say that you (as the bride/groom) should own your event... meaning, take responsibility in ensuring every line item is correct and every order/bill is spot on. We were very diligent in reviewing all documentation and plans with Tori and it certainly is one of the main reasons everything went perfectly. There were also more than a couple exceptional members of the Elms team that helped make sure everything went perfectly. The Elms does show as being able to accommodate 300 - but in the fine fine print they’ll point out this is not for sit down dinner. With a band and 275 seats, we did not have enough space for a head table, cake table, room to have either of our two bars IN the ballroom or the gift table. They have a beautiful foyer which allowed us to use that space, but I honestly didn’t know we wouldn’t be able to fit until we started finalizing the room layout a couple weeks before.

the wedding planning. When it got closer to our date and the weather was still looking questionable, she took it all in stride and helped us develop two different plans for the wedding that we could choose depending on the weather. Tori and the staff were great the day before and the day of the wedding. They worked hard with me, my husband and our vendors to make sure our vision became reality day of. They ensured that our day was special for us and made us feel confident on our day. We had to delay the start of our ceremony due to construction in the area preventing some of our other vendors and guests to arrive before the start time, but the staff kept their cool and made things run smoothly once things got going (I honestly didn't know at the time that we had started late and no one gave it away by being panicky or rushing to make things fit the original timeline.). The food was very good and tasty, they even had a little plate of appetizers set aside for us to eat during the dinner so we could enjoy our food choices too, it was very considerate of them to do that and a nice surprise for us. The Elms location is beautiful, even in mid March when flowers and trees haven't yet bloomed, the grounds were beautiful and groomed well. The Regent Ballroom is a fantastic choice for weddings like ours that don't have a huge guest count, it has an intimate and warm feeling and is gorgeous on its own before any decorations. I would highly recommend anyone to use the Elms for their wedding- the venue, history, food and staff make it a great option.

t them know I appreciated their time, but they were too expensive for me. I got an email back explaining their pricing breakdowns for peak season and non-peak season and some insider tips to help make The Elms more affordable to me. It was incredible! Even without having met anyone in person they were already willing to work with me! The Elms was the first venue my fiancé (now husband) and I visited and we really didn't need to see any more. The venue is a dream! The hotel is beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous and well kept. We chose to get married in the outdoor gazebo and have our reception in the Regent Ballroom. My husband and I were engaged for 18 months, and I started planning EARLY. I booked The Elms 15 months in advance... Within that time my credit card expired, the hotel changed owners, and my plan for our wedding changed about 50 times. Throughout all the changes my wedding contact at The Elms was willing to work with me and answer my hundreds of emails. I sent SO many emails... and she answered every single one! Even with I got a little clippy about my guests having issues booking rooms in our room block (the hotel had server issues, but apologized and fixed everything ASAP). I really cannot say enough about my contact at The Elms, she was AMAZING! As long as I asked questions and talked through with her any visions I had, it got done. We only had one issue the day of my wedding and that was due to me not communicating well with my planner. I ordered a lunch tray from an outside vendor to be brought in to us on the day of my wedding and I assumed it was ok to eat in the reception hall so I didn't talk through my plans with her. On the day of we realized we couldn't have our lunch in the reception area at all (whoops!), but my planner found a meeting room for us and got everything set up in time for us to eat and go out for pictures, keeping us on schedule! The Elms requires you use them for food and beverage and sets a minimum you have to spend, which is probably a little more expensive than if you found an outside caterer or bar, but it also comes with a lot (table cloths, settings, centerpieces, chairs, etc...) as long as you are ok working within what they have to offer. When I priced it out on my own it I felt like it was very comparable to what I would have spent elsewhere, but not many other places would have had a planner dedicated to my wedding and helping me. The food is good and we got a lot of compliments from guests! One thing I really loved was by the time we had our final guest count we had "extra money" we needed to use to hit our minimum for food and bev. Our planner worked with us and we were able to use it for additional food and bev during the wedding and over the weekend. They just really work with you and work hard to fit your vision into what they have to offer. We used their in-house sound system and did not have a DJ. Just a Spotify playlist on my phone and rented DJ lights. The sound system was a little screechy, but that was due to user error! Myself and all my bridesmaids got our hair done in the spa and the ladies there did AWESOME! Lastly, I highly suggest having a day of planner hired! The Elms does a lot, but a day of planner is money well spent!